ST. PAUL – The County of St. Paul announced a Level 4 Fire Ban for the area Monday afternoon. As of 1:30 p.m., no open-air fires are allowed on private land, in campgrounds, or on any other lands within the County.
"While we were hopeful that the dry conditions that prompted our initial fire advisory would improve, we have seen little-to-no improvement within the region," says Director of Community Services Jason Storch, referring to the County raising the fire advisory level to 2 on March 25.
"County fire departments are already busy tending to grass fires within our boundaries, which is alarming for this time of year and exemplifies how unseasonably dry it is," says Storch.
All fire permits are suspended or cancelled. No new fire permits will be issued.
Propane and/or natural gas-powered appliances are allowed.
The fire ban applies to all areas within the County of St. Paul, including campgrounds. If you reside in the Town of St. Paul, the Town of Elk Point, or the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay, please refer to their websites, as their municipalities have the authority to issue their own fire ban should the need arise.
The County has cancelled all active fire permits and will no longer be issuing new fire permits. The permit application form on the County website has been disabled at this time. Wood campfires on private land and campgrounds are also included in the ban.
If you have any questions, you may contact the County of St. Paul at 780-645-3301 or St. Paul Fire Services at 780-645-4100.
